Lost season for some winter sports leads to adaptation in Black Hills visitor industry

By: Makenzie Huber

Outlets: South Dakota Searchlight

Published: April 24, 2026

Words: 939

Last Updated: 2 months, 2 weeks ago

Dry, dormant grass surrounded Terry Peak this winter. The ski area was a patch of artificial white amid miles of brown.

The Black Hills experienced one of its driest, warmest winters on record, according to state climatologist Laura Edwards.

“You see a lot of top 10s across South Dakota, essentially,” Edwards said. “I think that’s the story of the winter.”

In the Black Hills, winter weather is an economic lifeline during tourism’s offseason. The …

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